Colin McRae: DiRT

Colin McRae: DiRT - (PC, Xbox 360)
Developer: Codemasters
Format: PC, Xbox 360
Genre: Racing

It's all wheel-spins and over steer in 360 glory.

Racing games have a lot to live up to with the likes of Burnout and Forza 2 out there and thankfully, a franchise that has elicited an often equal amount of complaints as praises, takes pole position. DiRT is just great. From the opening menu screens and cut sequences to the finely detailed mix of hill courses and rally stages in a host of cars, on looks alone, this is worth the cash. And with a few flaws aside, make this a must-own if there's even a modicum of boy-racer in you.

You won't have time to admire the stunning scenery though as the single player career mode alternates between a variety of Hill climbs and rally stages at a dazzling pace and with an AI to give you a run for your money. The beauty of Codemasters latest offering is that they've tailored the level of difficulty so that newcomers and die-hard petrolheads can jump in. The balance and shift between an arcade feel to the gameplay and a sim level of detail can be toggled to your whim. And the AI responds well, matching you with the difficulty level you've chosen. At a higher level the nine zones of damage on your car become paramount where even a minor bump with the odd track tyre can send your cooling system into meltdown and the likelihood of you completing multiple rally stages in the same motor will become remote. Handling (if at times a little light), car physics and track and scenery details - all are very good.

Unfortunately though, things are rarely perfect and the inability to race against multiple cars over in multiplayer is a huge shame especially when the timed modes you'll be competing in with online players work so well. Back in single player and with the addition of a camera angle from in-car that has you glancing round at your navigating and at the streaming scenery whizzing alarmingly fast around you, DiRT is a real treat for the senses and a worthy addition to any petrol heads videogame collection

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